silver



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. W. SILVER.

FEED CUTTER.

PatentedMar. 25, 1890;

Fl ELI.

' mvzu'ron,

WITNESESS (No Model.) 2'Shets -Sheet 2.

E. W. SILVER.

- FEED CUTTER. No. 424,434.

Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

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NVENTOR, W

Att'y.

N. FETERS. Plwm-Lilhngrapher, waning, n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMMOR 1V. SILVER, OF SALEM, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SILVER & DEMING MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FEED-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,434, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed May 7, 1889. SerialNo. 309,951. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMOR \V. SILVER, of Salem, in the county of Oolumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed-Cutters, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for cutting hay, straw, 820., and has for its object cer: tain improvements in the gearing employed in transmitting power from the cutter-shaft to the feed-rolls, in the construction and manner of securing the stationary cutter in position, and also in the manner of mounting the adjustable feed-roll, whereby the action of said roll is rendered more positive and certain.

The invention claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aview in elevation of a portion of one side of a feed-cutter embodying my invention; Fig.

' 2, a sectional elevation of the same, the plane of section being at right angles to the cutter and feed-rolls; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. l, the transmitting-gearing being removed; and Fig. 4., a view partly in end elevation and partly in section, the plane of section being indicated by the line at 00, Fig. 1.

The rotary cutter, consisting of disks 1, having spirally-arranged knives 2 bolted thereto, is secured to a shaft 3, mounted in suitable bearings 1, formed in the side plates 5. On one end of this shaft, which can be driven by hand or power, a crank-wheel 6 or pulley 6 being secured thereon, is keyed a pinion 7, intermeshing with a gearwheel S on one end of the shaft 9 of the lower feed-roll 10, having a smooth or unroughened surface, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The upper feed-roll 19, having a corrugated or roughened surface, is arranged above the roll 10, its shaft 18 projecting through curved slots 25, formed in the side plates 5, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. On the shaft 18 is keyed a pinion 22, intermeshing with an idler-pinion 21, which is held in proper relation to the pinion 22 by links 17, the shaft 18 and pin 16, carrying the pinion 21, passing through holes in the ends of said links, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4:. On the pin 16 are mounted the arms 14 of the bifurcated lever 15, the pin serving as the pivoted point of said lever, and between the arms 14 is arranged the gear-wheel 12, having the pinion 20 formed integral therewith, said double gear-wheel being mounted on a pin 13, passing through the arms 1 1 of the lever. The pinion 2O intermeshes with the idler-pinion 21 and the gear-wheel 12 intermeshes with a gear-wheel 11 on the shaft 9 of the lower feedroll. The lower or free end of the lever 15 is connected to a shifting lever 23 at or near its lower end, said lever being pivoted 011 a pin 24, secured to the side plate 5. The lever 23 is provided with a catch-lever 26 for operat ing the spring-actuated pin 27, adapted to engage perforations in the holding-plate 23, secured to the frame of the machine.

It will be observed that the entire weightof the lever 15 and its gearing is carried by its operating-lever 23, although, when shifted, said lever 15 turns upon the pin 16 as a fulcrum, while at the same time slightly raising said pin and the link by which it is carried. By reason of the manner in which the lever 15 is mounted i. 6., upon a movable fulcru1nand also to distinguish it from its operatinglever 23, it may properly be termed a floating lever. This construction also permits of the substitution of gear-wheels of different diameters for the transmission of power.

The ends of the stationary knife, which consists of the web 29 and heads 30, project through slots formed in. the side plates 5 and are bolted to abutments 31, formed at the sides of said slots and shaped to fit the sides of the knife, as shown in Fig. 3. As the heads 30 of the knife are so constructed that each edge may be employed as a blade, and said knife can be reversed not only end for end, but also axially, four cutting-blades are available for use.

When it is desired for any purpose to stop the feed during the operation of the machine, the operator shifts the lever 23, thereby moving the gear-wheel 12 out of engagement with the continuously-rotating gear-wheel 11 on the shaft of the lower feed-roll and disconnecting the upper or, as it might be termed, active feed-roll from the power.

The upper feed-roll is held down against the lower feed-roll by a weight or spring operating through a stirrup 32, depending from the shaft 13, as shown in Fig. 1. It has heretofore been customary to make the slots 25 vertical, so that when an unusual amount of material or an ear of corn passes between the feed-rolls the upper roll'will move up vertically; but it frequently happens that whenmoved vertically by an earof corn or like substance the teeth or projections on the upper roll will slip off and'will not operate. In order to avoid this slip, the slots 25 are either curved, as shown, or straight, inclining backward from avertical line, so that in rising the upper roll Will move back and obtain a better hold on the material. In the backward movement of the upper roll the upper end of the lever Will. be drawn back, the gearwheel 12 rolling aroundon the gear 11, as will be readily understood.

If it is desired to change the speed of feed, the gear 11 of the shaft 9 is reversed, so as to engage the pinion of the double gear 12; or a smaller orlarger gear may be substituted for the gear 11, and may be adjusted so as to engage either the gear 12 or its pinion 20.

I claim as myinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a machine for cutting hay, straw, &c.,

rolls, the shaft of the upper feed-roll passing through said slots, gear-Wheels secured to the shafts of the feed-rolls, a floating lever pivoted to a link mounted on the shaft of the upper feed-roll, a train of gearing mounted on the floating lever and arranged to transmit motion from the lower to the upper feedroll, and a lever for supporting and operating the floating lever, substantially as set forth.

EMMOR WV. SILVER.

Witnesses:

. J. A. AMBLER, B. S. AMBLER. 

